the Gods & the not-Gods: Lughnasad Ritual

much work and schedule and timing and stuff and energy

So I get home in time to just start and unwind a bit
from the day, the week, the season
and then he arrives and Bryan is making coffee
and we put out all the snacks as food
and she arrives
though by the good fortune of the spirits of awareness
leaves soon after
and we gather and eat and catch up and then she arrives
and we talk more.

Teenager opting out and relaxing in our room with the cats after two weeks of work and obligation.

Stories of life and family and then of Lugh and his family
the interconnections of us all and the retelling of stories and stories of stories.

We are as always days before engaged 
in conscious and unconscious ritual and ritual prep,
the thoughts of the holiday as worship,
the planning of time as rite and ceremony.

Sometimes one forgets, especially in the hubbub
and the daily grind and the electronic devices
and the commitments,
the need for organized special reverence and gratitude.

But the body and spirit don’t forget.

beer offering through the woods for the woods
very centered meditation
feeling in the body, the earth, the water, the air

lumpy milk Earth Mother offering
Bryan welcoming the directions and I see
ripening elderberries in the West
and call out healing to go alongside conflict in the North.

the last of our cherries for Bridget,
a whole loaf of bread flung in slices for the outdwellers.
Smoldering sweetgrass.

beer for the gates and for Mananan
small flickering flame then steady and strong
but not scary

  our apples for our Kindred
a glowing cauldron soup of fruit and broth and prayers
and gratitude

all kinds of gratitude for gifts of harvest
prayers for good harvest
honoring family

giving all our sacrifice,
chocolates, beer, sage, flowers, fruit
even our thank you offerings-
when honoring gratitude for harvest 
put everything in there was a single glowing cloud overhead

Bryan shuffled the omens 

 So first Bryan drew virtue cards and then runes.

From the Ancestors: the virtue card was Hospitality and the rune was Isa or ice. Made me think of a hostess offering a chilled beverage on a hot day.

From the Spirits of Nature & Place: the virtue card was Vision and the rune was the one for horse or the relationship between horse or vehicle & rider. Like what you see when you are in tune with yourself and nature or like if you were up on a horse how you could see a bit farther.  

From the Gods & Goddesses: the virtue card was Perseverance and the rune was Wunjo or JOY!


For the Season: the virtue card was Wisdom and the rune was Ansuz or the voice.

So yeah it’s all good.

offering thanks with our blessed waters.
so grateful and moved.
released by the closing meditation into our bodies.
bird calls throughout.

finding our way back
through the disorienting less wooded woods
making dinner out of side dishes and snacks
and talking long into the dark.